Research and analysis

Qualifying higher plant notification (reference: 23/Q09)

Published 9 October 2023

Applies to England

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Notification requirement for release of qualifying higher plants

Information to be provided to the Secretary of State alongside a notice of intention to release a qualifying higher plant under Schedule 3A of the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022.

1. The title of the project

Demonstration of low asparagine, low acrylamide, genome edited wheat at an Agricultural show in 2024.

2. The aim of the project (including any matters being investigated as part of the project)

The aim of the project is to grow a 1m2 plot of low asparagine, genome edited wheat at an agricultural show for demonstration purposes. The edited line (Line 59) was produced using the clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system with the Cas9 nuclease. It contains INDELS in the asparagine synthetase genes, TaASN1 and TaASN2. It is negative for all three transgenes used in the editing process (Cas9, Bar and gRNA), using standard PCR protocols. The plot will be drilled in Autumn 2023 and remain until the end of the show in or around June 2024, at which point the wheat will be removed and the trial site sprayed off.

3. The full name of the qualifying higher plant to be released under the project, including:

(a) family name: Poaceae; subfamily Pooideae

(b) genus: Triticum

(c) species: Triticum aestivum (bread wheat; common wheat)

(d) subspecies:

4. The expected date on which the project will start

The plot will be drilled on 11 October 2023 or thereafter, subject to weather conditions.

5. The expected duration of the project

The wheat will be removed and the trial site sprayed off at the end of the show in or around June 2024.

6. Confirmation that the person with overall responsibility for the project will put in place appropriate measures[footnote 1], as necessary, to minimise the possibility of material from the qualifying higher plant being placed on the market, for example by cross-fertilizing sexually compatible commercial crops

I confirm that appropriate measures will be put in place to minimise this possibility.

Wheat is approximately 99% autogamous under natural field conditions, with self-fertilization normally occurring before flowers open. The wheat in the plot will be removed and the trial site sprayed off at the end of the show in or around June 2024.

7. Confirmation that the person with overall responsibility for the project has read the ACRE guidance on genetic technologies that result in ‘qualifying higher plants’ and has assessed that the higher plants covered by this notification meet these criteria

I confirm that I have read the guidance. I confirm that the wheat lines to be grown in this experiment meet the criteria described in that document.

  1. Notifiers may wish to refer to published ACRE advice concerning measures for the minimisation of cross-pollination from UK GMO crop trials authorised under retained EU legislation. ↩

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